Moniack Castle is a Grade B listed building in the Highland local planning authority area, Scotland. First listed on 5 October 1971. 2 related planning applications.
Moniack Castle
- WRENN ID
- dusted-railing-auburn
- Grade
- B
- Local Planning Authority
- Highland
- Constituency
- Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP: Jamie Stone (LD)
- Country
- Scotland
- Date first listed
- 5 October 1971
- Address
- Moniack Castle, IV5 7PQ
- OS grid reference
- NH 551 436
- Coordinates
- 57.45972, -4.41544
- Source
- Historic Environment Scotland listing
Description
Moniack Castle is a small, L-plan tower house dating to circa 1600, extended with later additions. Around 1804, James Smith added a crenellated wallhead to the tower, and between 1830 and 1840, the east frontage was re-cast. The tower house is harled with polished and tooled ashlar margins and dressings. The main entrance is at the base of the tower, within the south-east re-entrant angle, and features a simple, square-headed doorway with moulded ashlar jambs and a heavily studded plank door. A wing to the left of the tower displays early fenestration, with some windows featuring plain chamfers and iron windows yetts from around 1600.
The north-west frontage is symmetrical, with three bays. The two outer bays are bowed and rise full height to a bowed piended roof, each containing three windows on both the ground and first floors. The central bay has a door sheltered by a simple Roman Doric columned portico. A variety of glazing patterns are found in the sash and case windows, and the roofs are slate.
Inside, a low-ceilinged Roman Catholic chapel is located immediately to the left of the entrance, featuring a tall, Ionic pilastered reredos. A wide wheel stair rises within the tower, with floors at various levels. The property has historically been associated with a branch of the Fraser family, and the chapel remains in ecclesiastical use. Reference is made to the work of James Smith, as detailed by John Gifford in ‘Architects of the Highlands in the Nineteenth century’.
Local climate
Moniack Castle sits in a wetter-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 1,050 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 84% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 58% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 56 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 96% of listed buildings. Of these, 38 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.2°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
Sign in or create a free account to unlock:
- Full EPC report — heating system, energy costs, size, glazing, construction etc.
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 2 applications
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.